Irena Komitova

MEDIA COLUMN - ECONOMY OF CHANGE Mike and I live in Greece, Peloponnese as expats and matchmakers of landscape restoration and we love hiking. The mountains above Patras City and the Mediterranean Sea gives us so many different perspectives. The Greek language is mesmerizingly familiar and still different... And it makes me understand how Plato saw the world and his Cave (the inspiration of ALL science fiction about time travel, shadows, and folds) as illusions of light and shadow. The stayers see "normal". The odd ones out see just a tiny bit more... Greek is a visual language. Do you know that New Science Research shows that people who speak are born into a visual language (Greek, Japanese, Chinese), see colors differently...??? AI the research from Asian scientists. It's fascinating! Today we came through a village with no shop. We ask a woman in her garden. Supermarket? Psomi? Bread? Nero? Water? And we make the universal sign of payment. Is here a shop? She starts talking in Greek. No word of English. We catch a phrase now and then. We shake our head. Yes yes. Nai nai. All signaling and intuition go haywire here. Nodding is no. Shaking is yes. Nene is yesyes. Ochi is no. She ends her monologue with perimenete. You (formal/polite verb) wait a moment. She returns with tomatoes from her own garden, toast, and water. We grab our purse. Ochi! OXI! No no. It's the best meal we've tasted in a long while 🙂🙂🙂💙💙💙🤸🏽‍♀️🤸🏽‍♀️🤸🏽‍♀️ Economy can be so simple... Even without words... And Plato's Cave? Watch the light from this simple water glass. And think a bit deeper. What you don't know about this story, ask sister AI. I use Perplexity by the way. Great free app. Gives me good sources and many insights. Enjoy your journey into simply economy, my friends... Newsletter on Abundanism.substack.com #simplelife #simplylife #food

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🎛 THE SOUNDTRACK OF #COP29 🎛 🎸 Today the preparatory meetings for #COP29 get underway in Baku. Over the next two days the 45 Least Developed Countries will meet to develop positions in support of their countries and the households and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis within them. 🥁 These meetings are critical as given the power dynamics between high income countries in the Global North and lower income countries in the Global South, so-called developing countries must work together to advocate for their citizenries. Together they represent over 85 percent of the world's population. 🎺 These countries are least responsible yet most affected by climate change and bearing its costs most acutely. This is what makes climate change fundamentally a #justice issue. 🎹 This song is dedicated to negotiators from developing countries gathering in Baku this week. You didn't start the fire but you've committed to lives to #climate action on all fronts. I am honoured to work with you. ❤️ 🎙 We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel https://lnkd.in/ed9dQ5Mx [Climate Leadership Initiative The Loss and Damage Collaboration Loss and Damage Youth Coalition Justina Áurea d. C. Belo Isingizwe Honorine Hyacinthe Niyitegeka Yared Abera Deme Alpha A. Djalon Eva Peace Mukayiranga Ineza Umuhoza Grace Olivier Ishimwe Brenda Mwale M. Hafijul Islam khan]

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Time to change the political roles and rules.... https://lnkd.in/ds-JJh64

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LATAM - EUROPE: A NATURAL MATCH In a world where free trade is under increasing pressure, the Free Trade Agreement with Mercosur (Brazil - Argentina - Uruguay - Paraguay) becomes even more important for the European Union. Latin America is a natural ally for Europe for various reasons: ✅ Cultural proximity & shared values ✅ Democracy & free trade ✅ Abundant natural resources ✅ Prime location to produce clean energy ✅ Large labor pool #eu #mercosur #freetrade #latinamerica

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As referenced in my article on the EU Parliament elections, here is Martin Sandbu's perceptive piece on the economic fallout of a shift toward the populist right. #populism #euelections2024 #euparliament #politicaleconomy #politics

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The election results show that socialist parties in Europe will be challenged to adapt their economic policies.   It has been a busy time since the European elections, analysing and discussing the results of the European Parliament election. Special thanks to the EPP Group in the Committee of Regions; thank you for the invitation, debate, and questions.   One interesting insight, not often mentioned:   The EPP has now won with a margin of over 50 seats compared to the Socialists. However, only 2.5 years ago, the situation was different in polling. In fact, for a moment, the Socialists were leading.   What happened?   One could argue that there are at least two important events to consider, noting that the EPP overtook the Socialists in aggregate polling between April and May 2022.   Firstly, the increase in inflation and interest rates. Europe had experienced over a decade of low or zero interest rates, and political discussions had aligned with this. With zero interest rates, public deficits did not appear dangerous if you believed rates would remain low. However, in 2021, interest rates began to rise, and by January-February 2022, they had skyrocketed. Almost overnight, people's market rate-based mortgages became a challenge, and state budgets with debt came under stress. The era of "fantasy economics" was over, and reality set in.   The second major event was the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which significantly impacted energy prices and thus caused inflation.   Economic and defence issues are strong topics for the EPP, and this is now reflected in their results.   The Socialists have faced challenging times over the past few decades, as societal structures have changed, the trade union system has been challenged, and old class divisions have faded. Consequently, and partly due to the zero interest rates, the Socialists shifted leftward in economic policy and engaged more with identity politics. After the spring of 2022, the political debate shifted, with economy, defence, and security-related issues becoming central.   It will be interesting to see how the Socialists navigate this new situation and what lessons they draw from these elections.   My guess is that, with fixing the economy and achieving real growth becoming high priorities, and without the flexibility of zero interest rates, the Socialists will be forced to move back to more market-oriented economic policies.   Do you agree? What are your takeaways from the European Parliament elections? #elections #europeanparliamentelections #eu Eoin Drea, PhD Dimitar Lilkov Gëzim Lezha Eleftheria Katsi Margherita Movarelli Aura Salla Arto Satonen Fredrik Erixon Julian Bonnici Arjen Siegmann Jacob Funk Kirkegaard Juergen Matthes Michael Wohlgemuth María Jesús Molina Hurtado EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions

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The approaching EU elections are more important than ever. There is a full-scale war on European soil, and Europe is facing hybrid threats on a daily basis. Originally a peace project, the EU is now facing the challenge of how to achieve peace. The EU economy and the exchange-listed companies in its territory are lagging behind the United States. Growth drivers are sorely needed. Growth was believed to stem from free world trade. Now Europe needs to stop and think things over again. Should the Union take a fresh look at borders, customs, big business, legislation and innovation to make European business thrive and create jobs? Luckily for pension investors, Europe is made up of many different bits and pieces. At the time of the euro crisis, there were the crisis-ridden states and others. At the time of Brexit, there was the UK and others. At the time of the Ukrainian crisis, there are the eastern border states and others. Crises come and go. Europe’s strength lies in its diversity. Nordic countries have also shown their strenghts in economic competition. The EU elections will set the course for Europe. We may wish that the new parliamentarians will be able to work together to lead Europe on to a path of growth and renewal. But an even bigger wish is that the European peace project will succeed, and security will prevail. Link to VER blog: https://lnkd.in/dHJj6rK3)

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ode to joy, ode to reform   On January 1, 1995, Austria joined the European Union. This membership marked the beginning of a transformative journey – connecting Austria´s economy to the single market and strengthening its role in Europe. All in all, the EU membership has been a success story and as an exporting country Austria has benefited greatly over these three decades. Today, we can no longer imagine life without the free movement of goods, services and people without border controls, as well as the use of the EURO as a strong common currency.   However, this progress has not been without challenges, particularly for the capital market. The increasing regulatory burden in recent years – from MiFID to ESG reporting requirements – has placed significant bureaucratic pressure on businesses and market participants. Regulation is essential to ensure trust and stability, but it must not become an obstacle to finance innovation. We must strike the right balance to keep our capital markets competitive and provide companies access to a broader capital base. Without large capital pools, we cannot significantly boost European competitiveness especially versus the USA, where we have seen growth-oriented companies migrate for listings recently.   Despite all the EU´s shortcomings and challenges, there is no better alternative. We are facing many transnational tasks, which require a strong and united Europe in the future. Let’s continue building a Europe that fosters progress and resilience for all.   #capitalmarket #EuropeanUnion #anniversary

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Great article with a comprehensive diagnosis of #Europe's situation both at an internal and geopolitical standpoint, despite the gloomy title. https://lnkd.in/dMUK5ihY #economy #innovation #sovereignty #policy #geopolitics POLITICO Europe

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Building a vibrant startup ecosystem isn't just about funding or facilities - it's about creating a community where founders believe, commit, and achieve. 2024 marked significant milestones in Malta's startup journey: • Successfully organized Startup Festival Malta 2024 with record international participation • Launched dealroom.co integration to improve startup visibility and investor connections • Advanced support across digitalgames, fintech, DLT, edtech, and medtech sectors • Celebrated Malta Enterprise's 20th anniversary while pushing innovation forward • Expanded practical support for founders from diverse backgrounds Three moments that captured our ecosystem's evolution: "We will continue striving to provide the strongest platform for you to StartinMalta and launch to the world." On Startup Festival's success in bringing our community together https://lnkd.in/dHV59Fps "Malta as a new spiritual home of a well sought after Edtech accelerator" From our Web Summit Masterclass on Malta's evolution as a startup destination https://lnkd.in/dvFhDvJB "It's tough - but help IS available." On providing practical support to emerging founders https://lnkd.in/dMVawVYd Looking ahead: 2025 will focus on scaling our ecosystem support, deepening international connections, and continuing to position Malta as Europe's premier testbed for innovative startups. Up to €1.5M in repayable advances remains available for the right ventures. To every founder who chose to #StartinMalta: Your courage to build here strengthens our entire ecosystem. Malta Enterprise StartinMalta #ecosystem #startup #innovation #Malta #LinkedInRewind #2024wrapped -- Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind! Go to coauthor.studio

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Some grim figures just came out of a Eurostat survey. Apparently, Cyprus has one of the lowest book reading rates in the EU, with only 33.1% of the population engaging in reading. That means two out of the three people we'll talk to today, about 700K people in total, haven't or won't read a book. But here's where it gets interesting. At the same time, Cyprus has been killing it in higher education, both locally and internationally. Fun fact: over 59% of young adults in Cyprus hold a tertiary degree. That puts us among the big leagues in the EU for educational attainment. Check out these figures: - 25-34 years: over 50% have a tertiary degree - 35-44 years: around 40-45% - 45-54 years: about 30-35% - 55-64 years: around 20-25% - 65 years and older: below 15% So, we've got a ton of people with fancy degrees. But here's the kicker - a lot of these folks, having finished their university studies, just stop reading. I guess what they read during their studies covers them for a lifetime. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring… I don't think we can pin this on one thing, but if I had to make an assumption, I'd say we need to take a hard look at how our educational system could (and should) foster a stronger reading culture. Now, the Cyprus government? They couldn't be bothered about this statistic. Even if we dropped to dead last, they'd probably shrug it off and make a nice statement (grammatically correct even). Not because they like being last, mind you, but because they don't have the long-term vision to see that the higher we are on this list, the more taxes they can collect, the more money they can get. Remember what Rod Tidwell wanted Jerry Maguire to do? Show me the MONEY! That's the only language our government institutions seem to understand. Studies show that higher literacy and book reading rates often go hand in hand with positive social behaviors and better economic conditions. Translation? More taxes. For instance, book readers are more likely to be involved in their communities, volunteering and donating to non-profits. More income, more taxes. It's not rocket science, but apparently, it's beyond our enlightened leaders. Economically speaking, literacy is the foundation for personal and community development. In places where reading is a big deal, you tend to see better-paying jobs, less dependence on welfare, and overall improved economic stability. So, what's our role as publishers and book fair organizers in Cyprus? It's crucial. By continuing to push reading through events like book fairs and other community initiatives, we're not just improving cultural engagement. We're contributing to the social and economic health of the country. Makes our job of getting books out there and encouraging reading even more important, especially when we're lagging behind most of the EU. Thoughts, anyone? Are we doomed to be a nation of degree-holders who don't read, or can we turn this ship around?

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The centre-left German government is reintroducing border checks at all its land borders with nine 🇪🇺Schengen countries. The drastic move, likely in response to the far-right's win in Eastern Germany last month, could cause a domino effect with major economic implications for the EU. Because of its central location, what Germany does is likely to be replicated by others until perhaps by year's end the Schengen passport-free system de facto doesn't exist any more. Introducing checks at these borders, which been passport-free for decades, will disrupt commerce, delay shipping and separate peoples homes from their workplaces.

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